When Supercars and Classics Get Abandoned

If you live in the United States, you’ll say some curse words, call the bank, and make arrangements to get back on schedule. Aside from a hit to the credit report, there’s no real harm done. But if you live in the United Arab Emirates, you could go to prison.

There are no bankruptcy laws in the UAE, and not paying a debt is considered a criminal offense. Bottom line, if you take out a loan in the UAE, you either pay, go to prison or flee the country. When the first two options are out of the question and the third becomes reality, whatever possessions you had in the country stay there.

That’s partly the reason behind some high-profile abandoned supercars in the deserts near Dubai. The U.S. has some abandoned cars too, though they tend to mostly be forgotten classics. Keep reading for some pictures that contrast the abandoned cars of the UAE with the ones in the USA.

UAE

This is a Jaguar XJ220. Only 281 were built between 1992 and 1994. Each was powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 putting down 542 hp. Zero to 60 took 3.6 seconds. It’s a supercar in every sense of the word, but was left alone to languish in the desert.

Here lies a Ferrari F40, surely the victim of a hasty exit from the country due to the inability to pay. The F40 was built between 1987 and 1992. It had a twin-turbo V8 putting out 471 hp, pushing it to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

Perhaps the most famous abandoned car in the world is this Ferrari Enzo. One of the rarest supercars in the world, its abandonment is as close to tragedy as it gets when speaking of cars. I can only imagine the potential consequences of whatever this guy did when he decided to leave the Enzo instead.

USA

The abandoned cars in this country tend to be a little less… flashy. They are old, rusty and probably left not out of financial distress, but because they just stopped working. Still, it’s sad to see an old Corvette split window sitting completely unloved.

Dubai gets the Jaguar XJ220 while the USA gets an old, forgotten mid-’60s Jag S-Type. Still, it’s a pretty car that deserves a good home!

Hmmm, it appears Americans like to abandon their old Corvettes. Do a Google search for “abandoned cars America,” and you’ll see more than a few rusted old and forgotten Sting Rays.